Artificial Intelligence company OpenAI has launched a new feature called study mode in ChatGPT, designed to transform students’ engagement with the AI tool.
Study mode is handy for homework help, test prep, and helps students learn new topics. With Study Mode, ChatGPT will ask users questions to test their understanding and, in some cases, refuse to offer direct answers unless students engage with the material.
ChatGPT has no doubt become one of the most widely used learning tools globally, assisting students with challenging homework, exam preparation, and exploring new concepts. However, its role in education has sparked an important question: how can AI ensure genuine learning rather than simply providing answers?
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This has spurred the company to roll out study mode, a feature that aims to address this concern by guiding students through problems step by step, using interactive prompts and tailored support. Built with input from teachers, scientists, and pedagogy experts, the feature reflects a core set of evidence-based teaching strategies.
These strategies encourage active participation, manage cognitive load, promote self-reflection, spark curiosity, and provide actionable feedback. Essentially, study mode encourages students to engage with the material, reflect on what they’ve learned, and retain knowledge, making ChatGPT a tool for meaningful education rather than just a shortcut to answers.
Speaking on the launch, Robbie Torney, Senior Director of AI Programs at Common Sense Media said,
“Instead of doing the work for them, study mode encourages students to think critically about their learning. Features like these are a positive step toward effective AI use for learning. Even in the AI era, the best learning still happens when students are excited about and actively engaging with the lesson material.”
Starting today, the feature is available to all logged-in users across the Free, Plus, Pro, and Team plans, with ChatGPT Edu set to receive it in the coming weeks.
Key Features of Study Mode
Interactive prompts: Combines Socratic questioning, hints, and self-reflection prompts to guide understanding and promote active learning, instead of providing answers outright.
Scaffolded responses: Information is organized into easy-to-follow sections that highlight the key connections between topics, keeping information engaging with just the right amount of context and reducing overwhelm for complex topics.
Personalized support: Lessons are tailored to the right level for the user, based on questions that assess skill level and memory from previous chats.
Knowledge checks: Quizzes and open-ended questions, along with personalized feedback to track progress, support knowledge retention, and the ability to apply that knowledge in new contexts.
Flexibility: Easily toggle study mode on and off during a conversation, giving you the flexibility to adapt to your learning goals in each conversation.
Currently, study mode is powered by custom system instructions, allowing OpenAI to gather real-time student feedback and improve the experience quickly, even if it leads to occasional inconsistencies. Over time, OpenAI plans to train these behaviors directly into its main models, refining them through iteration and user insights.
The launch of this feature marks the first step in OpenAI’s broader mission to make ChatGPT a more effective educational tool, helping students not just complete tasks, but truly understand and retain what they learn.